Collaborating Artists
Daniel Ott, composer
Composer Daniel Ott’s music has been described as ‘haunting’ (The News Tribune),
‘compelling’ (Dance Magazine), and ‘of considerable artistic seriousness’ (MusicWeb International). His work has been heard all over the world, most notably at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Sadler’s Wells, the Musée du Louvre, the Guggenheim Museum, and at the Fall for Dance Festival in New York’s City Center. Recent commissions have come from the National Symphony, New York City Ballet, the Chiara Quartet, and Bargemusic, among others.
Noted for his work for dance, Ott has composed a number of ballet scores, most recently for the New York City Ballet Choreographic Institute‘s 10th Anniversary at Miller Theatre in New York. In a unique experiment, the resulting work, An Inflorescence, was set to dance by three of the world’s leading choreographers: Larry Kiegwin, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon, and performed three times in one evening. Ott has also been a frequent collaborator with Benjamin Millepied, from whom he has received a number of commissions. Their Double Aria was described as the “highlight of the night” (The New York Times) at its New York City Ballet premiere.
Other recent projects have included the premiere of Ott’s String Quartet No. 2 by the Chiara Quartet, as part of their innovative Creator/Curator commissioning series, in which the composer selects the other works to appear alongside his music. Ott’s Blue Water, a chamber concerto for violin, piano, and string quartet, whose music “weaves together images of magnificence and terror” (The New York Times), was commissioned for Bargemusic‘s 30th Anniversary and premiered by the Shanghai Quartet and guests.
Erin Gustafson, oboe
Oboist Erin Gustafson enjoys an active freelance career in New York City, appearing regularly with the American Symphony Orchestra, New York City Ballet, and New York City Opera, among others, and has formerly held positions with the symphony orchestras of St. Louis, Oregon, and Grand Rapids. A sought-after chamber musician, Ms. Gustafson is a former member of the award-winning Ariel Winds, who toured extensively throughout the United States, and has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall,
Lincoln Center, Bargemusic, and Merkin Hall.
As an advocate of new music, Ms. Gustafson gave the New York premiere of David Ludwig’s Radiance for solo oboe and strings with the acclaimed Vermont Youth Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. She has also performed with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), as well as numerous other groups devoted to 20th-century and contemporary repertoire.
Ms. Gustafson grew up in the Pacific Northwest, going on to become a graduate of Boston University and the Mannes College of Music. Her teachers included Ralph Gomberg, John Ferrillo, Elaine Douvas, and Linda Strommen. She currently resides in New York with her husband and their two children.
Susan Dewitt Smith, piano
A native of Portland, Oregon, pianist Susan DeWitt Smith has an active career as both a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony, and on subscription series with the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Palomar Symphony and the Dartmouth Symphony. A co-founder of the Nelson Chamber Music Festival in New Zealand, Dr. Smith is highly regarded as a chamber musician and has performed at festivals throughout the country, with musicians who include members of the Juilliard, Kronos and Philadelphia string quartets. She has performed at the Bloch, Cascade Head and the Cascade music festivals in Oregon, as well as the Grand Teton, Hot Springs and Olympic music festivals. An enthusiastic and committed proponent of music education, she co-founded the innovative and highly successful Music in Contextseries in 2005. A graduate of Dartmouth College, she earned her MM from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music. She is a member of Portland’s Third Angle New Music Ensemble, and teaches at Lewis and Clark College. Dr. Smith has recorded extensively on the KOCH International Classics label.
Karen Eddleman, piano
Upon moving to the Columbia Gorge, Karen has worked as Music Director at Bethel Congregational Church, performed Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto with the Columbia Gorge Sinfonietta, collaborated with the Vinca Quartet Artists-in-Residence program, and founded the Columbia Camerata, which produced multi-genre concerts with focus on the importance of supporting professional musical artists in a local community. She also received a White Salmon Valley Education Foundation Artist-in-Residence grant to work for one semester with the Columbia High School choir, and was selected to adjudicate the Columbia Gorge District Bach Festival for high school students in 2009. Karen moved to Portland earlier this year.
Ms. Eddleman has held numerous other music director, college staff, collaborative, and teaching positions throughout the United States and abroad.
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